Well cleaner



C. C. TAYLOR wELL CLEANER Filed oct. 6, 1934 Aug. 25, 1936.

INVENTOR. Cyaaae C. '/by/or' BY 9m/w i W ATTORNEY.

IIIIII Patented Aug. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE WELL CLEANER.

Claude C. Taylor, Whittier, Calif.

Application October 6, 1934, Serial No. 747,161

` 14 Claims. (Cl. 16S- 20) This invention relates to cleaners for oil well screens or perforated casing, as well as to devicesfor removing from producing strata debris consisting principally of paraffin or asphaltic bodies, rotary mud and other impediments which tend to clog the pores of the oil sands and seriously retard the iiow of oil.

Rock pressure in a ilowing well may be counteracted by the solidication of such debris in important pressure ssures of the oil sands and the normal pump suction from the well surface is seldom sufficient to remove such accretions, particularly in sands producing high gravity oil.

Various means for applying chemical solvents of various kinds to clogged screen perforations and oil producing strata have been evolved but have met with little success due to a lack of proper application.

A general object of the present invention is to provide a devicewhich may be inserted into the casing (being carried at the end of a drill pipe or tubing) which will, by the systematic agitation of iiuid in the well with or without the addition of solvents pumped in from the vsurface successively loosen such accretions of debris from the perforations in the casing or well screen and from the pores of the oil sands respectively, subsequently drawing said dissociated debris into 'the casing through cleaned perforations for later removal.

Another general object is to provide such a device which can be run and operated by the ordinary well pulling equipment and crew without the aid of pumps or any other surface or subsurface accessories. l

A particular object of my invention is the provision of a series of packers to seal oi predetermined sections of the casing opposite producing oil sands and to simultaneously create fluid pressure between one pair of packers and suction between a second pair of packers through the relative movement of said packers, thus to create a more pronounced surging action of fluid within the well.

A still further object is to Iprovide a means for optionally circulating a chemical solvent sucli as petroleum distillate or a solution of muriatic acid or of soda ash pumped from the surface of the well through perforations in a restricted section of the casing, over a predetermined area of the exposed oil producing strata and return such solvent by powerful suction within the casing through a second set of perforations therein.

OtherV objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those of skill in this art and include ease and efficiency of operation, surety of action, economy of manufacture and an elimination of automatically actuated elements resulting in positive control.

The objects and advantages referred to above 5 maybe attained by thek exemplication of my said invention shown in the accompanying drawing', in which,-

Fig. 1 is a view of the upper section of my invention partly in elevation and partly in longitu- 10 y dinal section;

Fig. 1a depicts a view similar to Fig. 1 of an intermediate section thereof; A Fig. 1b is a like view of the lower section of my invention, each successive figure of the drawing 15 being illustrated to follow below the preceding figure as indicated by connecting arrows.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numerals of which designate similar parts throughout the several views, 5 indicates a perforated well casing or screen of a conventional type having therein perforations 6-for the admission of oil into the casing.

A drill pipe or tubing 1, comprising a plurality of sections 1' held together by pipe couplings 8, is 25 provided, to spaced sections l', of which tubing, a. pair of packers 9 and I0 are secured in longitudinally immovable position, said packers slidably fitting the casing 5.

A section II of drill pipe l having a smaller 30 outside diameter than that of pipe sections I supporting packers 9 and I0 is connected to lowermost section l' by reducing coupling I2, below packer 10. A third packer I3 is mounted on a sleeve I4 which is slidingly mounted on sec- 35' tion. I I of drill pipe l. The upper end of said sleeve I4 is provided with a stuillng box I5 containing packing material IB adapted to be pressed by a gland Il, in order to provide a tight sliding i'lt of the tubing or drill pipe through the anchored 40 packer and its associated parts about to be described.

An anchoring 'device of a type well known in the art is provided which includes a slip-expand- ',ing element I 8 screw-threaded between upper and 45 lower sections of sleeve Ill, said slip expanding element having a series of outwardly inclined faces I9, on which faces slips 20 carrying down wardly directed teeth 2| are slidingly secured by dove-tailed tongue and groove means well 50 indicate links which secure slips 20 to sleeve 22 in a manner and by means well known in the art. Thus any relative downward movement of sleeve I4 withY respect to sleeve 22 will wedge the slips 20 between inclined faces I9 of said slipexpander I8 and the wall of the casing, thus forcing the teeth 2| of said slips into engagement with the casing wall1 and preventing any further downward movement of the expander I8, sleeve |4 (to which the expander is secured) and packer I3. lTo maintain thev slips in non-engaging position while lowering the device in the well a bayonet slot. 25 is provided in sleeve 22 into which a stud 25a on sleeve I4 extends. Screw-threadedly secured to the bottom ofi sleeve I4 is a collar 26 the lowerV edge. of which is cut-away to provide shoulders 21. On the extension ofthe drill pipe or tubing II below collar 26 (through which collar 26 said drill pipe slidably passes) a collar 28 is screw-threaded, which. collar is provided with upwardly` extending shoulders 29 adapted to engage. and lock. with downwardly' directed shoulders 21l on collar 28 when drill pipe, 1 is raised relative to.` packer` I3 and its adjacenty elements.

Asv thev device: is being placed in position withinv the well, stud` 25ay is at the outward end of the. horizontal leg of. bayonet slot 25, in which posi- L tion the slips*I are locked out of *engagementr with the casingg and whiley being: lowered to position theentire packing and anchor-mechanism slid'ably mounted on the extension of the drill pipe, is. raised relative to said drill pipe by the f'ri'cti'onal engagement of springs 23 with casing screen. wall.v

When the.- d'esircd". anchoring position in the welll screen. i's reached, the drill pipe is raised, packer I3 andi anchoring mechanism remaining stationaryy until collar 28' contacts collar 26 when a slight rotary movementy of the drill pipe will' turn` studl 25a. out of engagement with the horizontal legY of bayonet slot 25' and a furtherv longitudinali movement,` the slip mechanismV being relatively retarded in movement by ther bowed springs will wedge, the slip expander I8 down-- wardly between the slipsY causing their teeth to engage. the casing, theoperation of.' which quite;

similananchoring devices is well knownv in art'4 Gor andi therefore not be more minutelyfl described.` i

Screw threaded to collar 28 isv an. extension 3|) of the drill pipev or tubing II, said' extension 38 being; preferably of larger diameter than said drill pipeOl orf tubing I I.` Carried by said extension I 31|,v being.v held against longitudinal movement with. respect thereto, is a` packer 3| which slidingly fits: the; interior of the. perforated casing or.` weltv screen 6. 32-32 indicates openy ports through` extension 36, and 33 indicates a back1 pressure valve'whi'ch may be of any suitable form'` welll known. in the.y art but which Ihave illustrated asy of. the poppet type, the stem 34 oi which is held. in. longitudinal sliding alignment substan-f tialLy atJ the axial center of' extension 30 by passing'throughguide, 36 in spider 36` which is rigidly securedinV any suitable,l manner in. valve-cage coupling. 31 The weight of said back pressure, valve,l 33V and' its stem 34 is canied by a. spiral spring; 38` which. isA seated on top of guide 36 and has av bearing; at-the upperend of. said valve stem om washer 38r held. in place; on said valve: stem by pinil..

4 Ii indicates. a.. partition at the.` top,` ofextension.

3|);r` and- 42 a: short tubular conduit opening through said partition 4| and leading to. an

opening 43 in the. outer face of extension 30 below packer 3|.

44 diagrammatically indicates a common form of centering device', which is screw threaded to the lowerl end of valve-cage coupling 31. Open ports 45-45 in the drill pipe or tubing 1 above the uppermost packer arev provided for the purpose vhereinafter described.

Each of the packers 9, I0, I3, 3|, is of a conventional type known frequently as swabs. 'I'he cups 46 of the packers are of resilient material, and are adapted to be held against unlimited outward movement by retaining wires 41 which, however, do not restrain inward movement, the result being that the resilient cups 46 of said packers will partially collapse inward to allow liquid to by-pass in one direction but will be restrained by the wires 41 and made to snugly fltL the casing cna movement against pressure in. the opposite direction.

48 designates a port within the cage of wires 41 of packer Ill which port extends through drill pipe or tubing 1, being controlled against' inward ow of fluid by spring valve 49 secured to the outside of drill pipev or tubing 1 by rivet 50.

The installation and operation of the device is as follows: The tubing or drill pipe with its packers and anchoring means is lowered through the l wellV casing and into the zone of perforations desired to be cleaned and preferably to the lowermost thereof.. The drillI pipe or tubing is then manipulated as above described and wellv known the art to anchor packer I3 by means ofthe slip mechanism above described.. The well tubing. or drill pipe isthen, through a predetermined limited range, alternately raised and lowered.. Upper packers- 9 and I0 and bottomV packer^3| being rigidly attached to the.tubing,.will move. with the tubing upwardly and'v downwardly within saidl range of movement, vfn the downward movement. the resilientV elements 46 of said packers nar-ing: outwardly againsty they interior of the perforated?V casing to make a snug sliding it therewith.. and

on the upper4 stroke said cups 48 partially collapsing to allow by-passing of duid. Suction between packers; I8- and I3 on the upward stroke will also befneutralizedby the opening. of valve 48.

They downward movement of packers 9 and I8 will force the uid. between packer I8 and anchoredv packer I3 forcibly out through the zone of perforations in the casing between said packers and atv the samev time the downward movement of packer 3| will create a suction .withinr they perforated casing above packer 3| which will draw uidthrough the perforations into the cas-- ing' above said packer. Thus there will be a circulationv of iiuid forced outwardly throughV perforations: between packers I0 and I3 and drawn inward. through the perforations above packer 3 Iy by the downward movement of said packer.

On the up stroke of packer 3| compression above. said packer will be partially or wholly neutralized (depending upon the specific design of" tion of said ports 45 is below. the iiuidv level in the well fluid will flow into the tubing therethrough, and when the tubing at the location of the cleaning device is raised above the fluid level, any iluid in the tubing will flow Aout and back into the well.

It will be seen that compression between the lowermost of the upper packers 9 and Il) and the anchored packer I3 and, simultaneously with said compression, suction between the anchored packer I3 and bottom packer 3| will force fluid out through the perforations above the stationary packer I3 and back through the perforations into the casing below said anchored packer I3, thus washing off the formation walls and sucking into the screen or perforated casing mud, gummy substances and other debris which retard production. l

It will be observed also that as the device is moved upward from one zone of perforations to another, the anchoring mechanism takes hold and positions the anchored packer I3 in the new location, and that the suction, or lower part of the device, is always working on perforations that have been opened by the upper, or pressure part.

It will be quite obvious'that instead of two upper packers 9 and I0 a single swab or packer could' be substituted with the same general result. The two packers, however, have been proven by experiment lto be more eiiicient in supplementing the functions of each other.

Obviously, various other modifications, such as in the design oi the packers, and their relative positions as well as in those of the slip mechanism, and in the form and location of the various ports and of the back pressure valve may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim and desire to cover by Letters Patent is:

l. In a device of the character described, a pair of well casing packers secured in spaced relation on a string of well tubing, a third well casing packer interposed between said iirst mentioned pair of packers and' slidably mounted on said tubing, carrying means to anchor it at a selected point within a perforated well casing, a port through said tubing at a point located. between said third packer and the lowermost of said first mentioned pair of packers, and means to prevent flow of fluid through said port to preserve suction between said last mentioned packers.

2. In a device of the character described, a pair of well casing packers secured in spaced relation on a string of well tubing, a third well casing packer interposed between said iirst mentioned pair of packers and slidably mounted on said tubing, carrying means to anchor it at a selected point within a perforated well casing, a port through said tubing at a point located between said third packer and the lowermost of said first mentioned pair of packers, and means to prevent flow of iiuid through said port during a downward movement of said lowermost packer.

3. In a device of the character described, three packers each adapted to snugly and slidably fit the interior of a perforated well casing, two

of said packers being attached in spaced relation on a-string of well tubing extending to the top of the well, the third of said packers being interposed between said rst two packers, being slidable on said well tubing, and carrying means to anchor it at any desired point within said well casing, a partition in said tubing adjacent the lowermost packer, a port in said tubing, and a back pressure valve in said tubing below said lowermost packer.

4. In a device of the character described, a

pair of well casing packers secured in spaced relation on a string of well tubing, a third well casing packer interposed between said iirst mentioned pair of packers slidably mounted on said tubing and carrying means to anchor it at a selected point within a perforated well casing, said rst mentioned pair of packers being reciprocable by means of said tubing, means comprising a port through said tubing above said lowermost packer and a back pressure valve in said tubing below said packer, to relieve compression above said packer during its reciprocatory movement toward said anchored packer.

5. In a device of the character described, a pair of Weil casing packers secured in spaced relation on a string of well tubing, a third well casing packer slidable on said tubing interposed between said rst mentioned pair of packers and carrying means to anchor it at a selected point within a perforated well casing, said first-mentioned pair of packers being adapted to be reciprocated vertically with respect to said anchored packer within a well casing.

`6. In a device of the character described, three packers each adapted to snugly and slidably fit the interior of a perforated weil casing, two of said packers being attached in spaced relation on a string of well tubing extending to the top of the well, the third of said packers being interposed between said first two packers', being slidable on said well tubing and carrying means to anchor it at any desired point within said well casing, partitioning means in said tubing dividing space above said lowermost packer below said packer, a port in said tubing above said lowermost packer and a back pressure valve controlling ilow into said tubing below said port.

7. In a device of the character described, a pair of well casing packers secured in spaced relation on a string of well tubing, a third well casing packer slidable on said tubing interposed between said first mentioned pair of packers and carrying means to anchor it at a selected point within a perforated well casing, said first mentioned pair of packers being adapted for vertical reciprocatory movement by means of said tubing with respect to the anchored packer, the uppermost packer being designed to preserve compression between it and the anchored packer during its reciprocatory movement toward such anchored packer, and to by-pass pressure during its movement in an opposite direction, the lowermost of said packers being designed to preserve suction between it and said anchored packer during movement from said anchored packer, and to by-pass pressure during an opposite reciprocatory movement.

8. In a device of the character described, a pair of packers, a pipe for positioning said packers at a selected zone within a well, and means motivated by the downward movement of said pipe to cause relative movement of said packers and thereby create suction between said packers.

9. In a device of the character described,v a pair of packers, a tubing for positioning said packers within a well casing, means for creatina suction between said packers by the downward movement ofsaid tubing, and means to communicate the space connned between said packers to a point below the lowermost packer.

10. In a device of the character described, a' plurality of well casing packers, a tubing adapted for reciprocation to position said packers at a selected une within a well casing, and means actuated by the tubing to relatively move said packers and thereby create pressure between one pair thereof, and suction between a second pair of said packers.

11. In a device of the character described, a casing, a plurality of packers forming annular chambers therebetween, and means to slidably position said packers in the casing to permit relative reciprocation therebetween to enlarge one of said chambers and contract another of said chambers.

l2. In a device of the character described, a casing, a plurality. ot packers forming annular chambers therebetween, means to slidably position said packers in the casing to permit relative reciprocation therebetween, and means to relieve pressure created in one oi' said chambers and means to relieve vacuum created in another of said chambers.

13. The method `of cleaning a perforated pipe which comprises packing oi! a series of areas in said pipe to be cleaned and applying suction to one packed-of! area and pressure to another packed-oi! area.

y14. The method of cleaning perforated pipe which comprises plugging the pipe at the point desired to be cleaned, packing of! an area above and below the point of plugging, and simultanenously reducing and enlarging the packed-on ifm CLAUDE C. TAYLOR. 

